


Quarantined, Dammit

by lhr111



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Anxious Stiles, Boys In Love, Caring Derek, Cuddles, Derek and Stiles Friendship, Feels, Good Derek Hale, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mild Angst, Other characters mentioned - Freeform, Protective Derek, Protective Stiles, Seriously very mild, Sick Stiles, They need to use their words, because we all need them, smut in later chapters, the sheriff ships it, the sheriff's name is John
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-20
Updated: 2020-06-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:49:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23234998
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lhr111/pseuds/lhr111
Summary: Only Stiles would get sneezed on in the middle of a Pandemic.  With few options available, he ends up quarantined at Derek's house to keep his dad virus-free. Both Derek and Stiles are secretly excited and anxious about the arrangement, worried the other will figure out their true feelings.A trope fest of forced togetherness, if you will.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Comments: 100
Kudos: 295





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm doing this as stress relief, because these two just make me happy. Aside from some very minor angst, this will be sort of a love fest for the two of them. I've got ideas for where it will go exactly, but I'm not entirely sure how many chapters. Enjoy this fluff, and I love comments so feel free to leave any, critical or otherwise. :-)

Somehow, Stiles finds himself at age 23 working as a supernatural consultant, not the career path he originally envisioned. However, after the shit show of near-death experiences in high school, why not make some money from what he learned and also help others out there who are as clueless as he and his friends used to be. He originally planned to go to college, was even accepted at Stanford and Berkeley, but his business sort of just happened, and when he realized he could really make a living from it and also help people, it was an easy decision to pass on college. His father took some serious convincing, but when Stiles was able to pay off the rest of the mortgage on their house after a year of consulting, the Sheriff relented.

So, here he is, in his early 20s and still living with his dad, their home truly, officially a bachelor pad. It’s by his own choice; he can afford his own place, but he loves his father and still feels compelled to take care of him. His Dad and Melissa officially started dating a year ago and Stiles wonders if maybe this means he can hand off the duty of keeping the Sheriff happy and healthy, but he knows deep down that maybe he’s not ready to let go of it yet. He knows it’s backwards, to worry so much like his father is a child, but he just can’t help himself. Stiles is a planner, a worrier, has a regular low-grade level of anxiety on the best of days, and finds that taking care of his dad is a really effective way to cope.

It’s not like he has no life, he’s dated, including the pleasant discovery that he’s pretty much open to men or women which was confirmed by a semi-drunken evening with Danny while he was home from college a few years ago. So yeah, Stiles is definitely as into the D as he is the V.

Although he hasn’t developed any serious romantic relationships, he’s not unhappy in that department.

Also, there is still a decent portion of the pack still living in Beacon Hills. Scott was accepted into a 2-year college (a miracle considering how his grades tanked due to his little lycanthropy problem), so he got his Veterinary Technician certification and is still working with Deaton. They have called each other brothers for longer than Stiles can remember, and he knows that Scott is just as excited as he is that it may actually happen for real now that their parents are finally getting their shit together. Scott has been seeing Malia off and on for a few years now, and Stiles can’t figure out whether either of them are in it for convenience, comfort, or because of real feelings. Whatever, if they are happy he’s fine with it, and it’s nice that Malia is still around.

Then there is Derek. Stiles is often amused that he and Derek are still in each other’s lives all these years later. They certainly didn’t start well, and Stiles can acknowledge that falsely accusing Derek of murdering his own sister was a pretty big reason for that. However, over the years the two of them developed a pretty effective team, both saving the other’s ass more times than can be counted. What is nice is that since things have calmed down in Beacon Hills, supernaturally speaking, they have all been able to see a side of Derek that was buried under all the trauma of fire, blood and death. For example, the dude is seriously funny. His acerbic sarcasm nearly matches Stiles’ own. He also smiles a lot more now, which Stiles is forced to admit (but only under extreme duress) is a breathtaking sight to behold. Derek will probably always be the most physically beautiful creature Stiles has ever seen, but when he smiles it’s like the angels are literally singing.

Thankfully, things aren’t angsty or awkward with them anymore. They’re actually good friends. Derek rebuilt his family home and all pack members, living in or out of Beacon Hills are always welcome. His sister Cora visits a few times a year and Stiles knows how much that means to him. Also, Derek is finally putting his ridiculous linguistic skills to use and works as a technical translator for all sorts of businesses and scientific organizations. Just like when Derek smiles, Stiles has learned to suppress certain reactions when he hears Derek mumbling in all sorts of exotic, beautiful languages. Jesus, it’s just not fair. But, he’s good at suppressing things.

One cool thing that came from Derek rebuilding his family home in the Preserve, is that he talked with Stiles a lot about what made most sense with the design. Stiles was surprised that Derek wanted his opinion, but he was happy to give it. What he was most excited about was the library they agreed on. With their various contract work, Stiles and Derek work most days at the Hale house in the library. There, Stiles has access to the various books and documents he needs to help people with supernatural problems. Luckily Derek doesn’t seem to mind Stiles being there all the time. Derek splits his time working in the kitchen at the Island and in the Library with Stiles. They each have designated work areas and for the last few years it has been great for them both.

And that is where they are today, working in parallel in the library in the middle of a fucking pandemic. Honestly, why is it that when Beacon Hills finally relaxes the rest of the world has to make life miserable? Luckily wolves can’t contract or carry the virus, so Stiles feels relatively safe spending time with Derek, who has adopted fairly strict cleaning strategies just to be on the safe side. He’s not particularly worried about himself, but he is super anxious about exposing his dad. That’s probably why Derek has been so good about a no-shoe policy in the house and making sure all shared surfaces are regularly cleaned, just in case.

Stiles has decided he’s done for the day and stretches to relieve tension in his neck from being hunched over his laptop all afternoon. “Hey, I think I’m going to head home.”

Derek looks up from his table where’s he’s been working and gives Stiles a smile and nod. “Sounds good, say hi to your dad for me. Also, watch out for the repair guy, he’s fixing the gutter off the porch, he’s probably still here. Six feet of separation and all.”

Stiles gives him a thumbs up. “Thanks, I forgot that was today. Appreciate it. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Stiles walks through the gorgeous house and opens the front door. As he stepped through and onto the porch, he was immediately assaulted with a nearby sneeze. Were it possible, he would have jumped out of his skin. He quickly jumps back on instinct and looks around. Just a few feet from where he was just standing is the fix-it guy. And wow the guy does not look good. His eyes are all red and runny, his cheeks are a little flushed, and then he starts coughing. At least that is into his elbow. “Dude, what the fuck? Are you sick? You seriously came over here sick, with all that is going on right now?”

Once the coughing is under control the man tries to respond, and Stiles notices how apologetic he looks. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t think I’d be in contact with anyone on this job. My family need the money and most of my work has cancelled. I’m really sorry.”

Stiles sighs, his brain fighting between empathy and fury. He takes a long breath to calm himself before responding. “Okay, I get that. But this is about people’s lives man. My dad has a heart condition, and I live with him. You are possibly putting yourself in jeopardy, let alone anyone you happen to infect along the way. Please just go home, stay home, and don’t spread this around anymore.”

The repairman is coughing again but has now moved off the porch. “Will do, I’m so sorry.”

Stiles immediately drops his bag, kicks off his shoes, and runs to the closest bathroom, swearing as he goes. “Jesus Christ, I can’t believe this. He fucking sneezed on me!” Once in the bathroom he pulls off his shirt and pants, turns on the water and grabs the bar of soap. He’ll need to throw them in the laundry immediately to disinfect them, but first he needs to wash his face. As he starts scrubbing, he hears Derek in the doorway. “Stay back! Don’t touch anything!” Stiles is furiously scrubbing suds all over his face and hair, then doing his best to rinse off without making a huge mess on the floor.

“Stiles? What the hell are you doing? And why are you in your underwear?”

Once Stiles thinks he has washed away as much as is possible, he grabs the hand towel and starts to dry off.

“The fucking repair guy sneezed in my face as soon as I walked out the front door. I think he was as surprised to see me as I was to be sneeze attacked. He looked awful, kept coughing. Said he hoped to finish the job without being near anyone, hoping to keep his income without exposing anyone.”

Derek can hear that Stiles heart is starting to skyrocket, and he smells anger and anxiety coming off his friend. “I’ve got to get these clothes in the laundry to disinfect them, then clean the front door area, the floor, and this bathroom. Jesus, do you think it’s safe for me to even go home now? Der, I can’t risk exposing my dad!”

Deciding to ignore Stiles previous order, Derek steps into the bathroom and grabs Stiles by his naked, broad shoulders. Shit, focus Derek thinks. “Stiles, you can just stay here, it’s fine. We will clean all this up, in fact why don’t you go and take a shower and I’ll deal with the laundry and disinfecting. I’ll call your dad and let him know what happened. You’re going to be fine, okay? And if you were exposed, we’ll make sure you don’t spread it around.”

He can see that Stiles is doing his best to get his anxiety under control. “Okay, yeah, that sounds good. You’re sure you don’t mind? Then you should take a shower when you’re done, wash it all off of you, just in case.”

Derek agrees, anything to get Stiles to calm down. “I’ll leave some clothes for you to borrow outside the bathroom door, okay?”

Stiles looks panicked again, his huge amber eyes fixed on Derek’s face. “Oh shit. Fuck. I didn’t think about that. Dude, I know that’s a werewolf no-no, scent sharing and all that. Shit, I’ll just wait until my other clothes are clean.”

Derek does his best to repress his inner elation at the thought of Stiles carrying his scent. That is NOT why he suggested this, not at all. It’s just practical. “Stiles it’s fine. I promise. Besides, you’re going to be stuck here for at least 2 weeks so you will need other clothes. I don’t mind, really. Besides, your stink is already all over the house, this won’t be that much different.”

Stiles looks unsure, bites his lower lip as he tries to figure out if it really is okay. “Alright, but I totally get it if it freaks you out and I can just live in my clothes, or get Scott to drop some off to me.”

“No!” Shit, Derek thinks, he should have not shouted that. “No, no need for that. No need to have anyone else possibly exposed, even Scott. Just to be safe.” Even Derek’s inner voice knows what a crock of shit that is.

“Yeah, I guess it’s better to be overly cautious. Okay, thanks man, I really appreciate it. I’m sorry to impose myself on you even more until this thing passes.”

Derek just smiles, “It’s fine, Stiles. It will be nice having company for dinner for a while. Now, go on and get in the shower. You’ll feel better when you know you’re totally clean.”

Derek steps back, finally releasing Stiles from his grip. As Stiles wanders towards one of the guest bathrooms upstairs, Derek can’t decide if he is super excited about this or whether it’s going to be absolute torture. He guesses it will be somewhere in between.


	2. Chapter 2

Derek quickly and thoroughly cleaned everywhere Stiles may have gone since the sneeze attack. He tried not to laugh at the terminology, but it was hard. Stiles clothes were in the laundry so Derek wandered to his room to find something for his favorite human to wear. He pulled out a pair of his favorite dark grey sweatpants, hoping they won’t be too big for Stiles’ slimmer frame. He grabbed a navy-blue Henley, another one of his favorites which he thought would look beautiful against Stiles’ pale skin. Stiles won’t know the difference so what is the harm? Finally, Derek opened a drawer to grab a pair of black boxer briefs, doing his best not to physically react to the idea of this fabric hugging the most intimate parts of Stiles body. He’s just being a good friend, that’s all this is. Maybe, if he keeps thinking it, he’ll start believing that.

Derek headed out into the hallway and into the guest room Stiles claimed. The shower was still running so he knocked quietly on the door.

“Come in!”

“Hey, Stiles. I’m just dropping the clothes on the counter for you. Do you need anything else?”

“Na, thanks though.”

“Okay, I’m going to head downstairs and pull something together for dinner.”

Derek shut the door and heard a muffled “Thanks!” from the bathroom. Maybe he could do spaghetti, the strong aroma of the sauce might temper his reaction to Stiles in his clothes. Maybe.

*********

Stiles stepped out of the shower and grabbed the fluffy green towel off the heated rack. He groaned when his feet hit the heated floor. Yeah, it’s not going to be too much of a chore to stay here. If he can just keep his anxiety in check, this could actually be fun.

Once dry enough, he grabbed the clothes Derek left for him. “Whoa.” Oh my god, Derek gave him underwear. Jesus. How is he going to be able to wear a pair of Derek’s boxer briefs, knowing where they have been?! Ugh, this is the worst/best thing ever. And he’s a horrible friend for even thinking these things.

Stiles tried his best to calmly pull on the clothes and allowed himself just one long sniff of the super comfortable shirt Derek gave him. He can smell Derek on it, it’s something hard to describe but is definitely Derek. It’s going to take some time to get used to this and keep his emotions and physical reactions under control.

**********

Stiles could hear that Derek was on the phone as he got closer to the kitchen.

“Yeah, we have everything we need here. But let us know if you need anything. I’m happy to drop supplies to you at home or to the station so you don’t have to go out more than necessary.”

Stiles realized that Derek was talking to his dad and he couldn’t help the warmth that grew in his chest. This guy. It’s amazing how misunderstood Derek was when they first met him all those years ago. Here he was, making what looked and smelled like spaghetti and meatballs, while on the phone taking care of his dad.

“Yeah, sounds good. Here, I’ll give you to Stiles, I’m sure he wants to talk to you.”

Derek smiled as he passed his phone over to Stiles.

“Hi, dad.”

“Stiles. Only you, son.” Stiles could almost hear the smirk on his dad’s face.

“Shut up, it was totally out of my control. Just terrible timing by me and awful decision making by the repair guy.”

“Well, you should be fine there with Derek for the next two weeks. I hope you don’t get sick, so keep me posted on how you are feeling, okay?”

“I will, dad. But you also need to be careful, okay? Do you know where I keep all the disinfecting wipes? You need to clean the doorknobs, tv remote, stuff like that at least once a day. And remember, no shoes in the house, wash your clothes immediately after getting home. Do you have enough laundry detergent? And make sure you do it in warm or hot water, just to be safe.”

“Stiles! Hey, you have to calm down. Believe it or not, I was able to keep myself alive for years before you were even born.”

Stiles started to protest, but his dad interrupted him. “Stiles, just breathe, okay? I promise to be very careful, and you know that Melissa has taught me the best practices to keep everything sanitized. I promise not to go crazy with unhealthy foods, as best as I can given what is available at the stores right now. I promise to check in with you as well, but you need to relax, okay? I will feel better and sleep better if I know you aren’t worrying about me.”

Stiles closed his eyes and tried to get his worries under control. “Okay. I know I can be sort of irrational. I know you can take care of yourself; I’m just so used to helping, you know?”

“I know, son. Now, we are all going to be fine if we just keep our cool, right? So, you and Derek have a good time, but don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”

Behind Stiles, Derek started choking, clearly he had been listening in on the conversation. “Dad! Jesus, I hate you sometimes. Go eat something healthy and enjoy your night Skype with Melissa, say hi for me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

Stiles heard his dad laughing as he hung up the phone. He hoped he wasn’t blushing. Hopefully Derek will just think it was his dad being a dick and not figure out that his dad knew exactly how much Stiles secretly pined for the werewolf.

He passed the phone back to Derek and gave him a sheepish smile. “Thanks. And sorry for my dad having a ridiculous sense of humor, I can’t imagine where I get my awkwardness from.”

Derek just laughed and went back to checking the pasta.

Stiles watched him take a piece of spaghetti from the pot and taste it to see if it was fully cooked. Apparently it was, as Derek moved to turn off the stove and started to drain the pasta.

Stiles cleared this throat. “So, hey. Thanks. I heard you offering to drop stuff to my dad. I really appreciate that. Obviously everyone knows how much I worry about him, and that really means a lot. To both of us, by the way.”

Stiles helped Derek bring the food to the table. When he looked up he saw that Derek was giving him a small, shy smile. “It’s no problem at all. I can’t get sick, so of course I want to help. Besides, I’ll have to make some trips to get more supplies for you, so why not drop off stuff to your dad while I’m out.”

Stiles noticed that Derek was blushing, probably struggling with the positive attention. “Der, don’t do that. It’s a really nice and supportive thing. So just take the fucking compliment so we can start dinner, I’m starving.” Stiles smirked at him, trying to shame him into accepting the praise. One of his missions in the last year has been getting Derek more comfortable when people are nice to him. Sarcasm often helps, he’s found.

Derek just smiled and shook his head at Stiles. “Fine, fine. Anyway, dig in before it gets cold.”

Derek watched as Stiles helped himself to salad, pasta, and bread. He’s very familiar with the noises the human makes when he’s eating something delicious, but it was hard to keep his mind out of the gutter while Stiles closed his eyes and threw his head back, thereby putting his long, gorgeous neck on full display. “Fuck, Derek this is so good! Did you make your own garlic bread? Jesus, you’re going to spoil me, I’ll never want to leave.”

Derek snorted, “Well, when my cooking gets offensive you can take that as your cue to get the hell out.”

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Asshole.” Stiles was smiling at him, because they are both jerks at heart and they both not-so-secretly love to banter.

“So the clothes are okay? Tomorrow we can go through what I have and you can pull some things out to keep in your room if you want. Also, I threw your laundry in the dryer.”

“Yeah, dude, the clothes are fine. I’m kinda surprised that they fit as well as the do.” Derek’s not surprised, he has observed a bit too closely exactly how much Stiles has filled out over the years.

“I’ll try not to steal all of your favorite things.” Stiles winked at him, the ass.

“Also, what other things do you need to get at the store? You mentioned to my dad you had stuff to get.”

“Oh, well I thought we could get whatever toiletries you like, we can make a list of what food stuff you prefer, and I’m going to stop by the pharmacy to make sure I have whatever would actually be useful if a human got sick here. I read Tylenol is better than Ibuprofen, is that what you want? And what about ice packs? Cough suppressants? Or expectorants? And what do you need to eat and drink if you’re sick? Gatorade, right? Soup?”

“Derek, you’re starting to sound like me. Slow your roll, dude.”

Derek does not look impressed.

“Okay, I totally appreciate that you’re thinking about these things. I know it’s not something you’re that familiar with, so if I start feeling sick I’ll give you a list of what to grab, okay?”

Derek looked grumpy, but nods. “Fine. But you need to let me know as soon as you feel off, okay?”

“Sure thing, Worrywolf.”

At that, Derek threw a slice of bread at Stiles, and it was totally justified. “Dude! Don’t waste the bread!”

They both laughed and got back to eating.

**********

After dinner they headed to the den, which Stiles still can’t stop laughing about because, I mean, wolves. Den. It’s too much. But regardless, it’s the main hub of the house, with all the comfy furniture, pillows, blankets, and a huge entertainment system. Derek settled into the couch and Stiles plopped down on the other end, landing his feet on Derek’s lap like the asshole he is.

“So, Netflix?”

Derek gave him the most judgy look while also clearly fighting a smile. “Netflix and Chill? Really? I don’t usually put on the first date, Stiles.”

Watching Stiles eyes nearly pop out of his head was extremely gratifying to Derek. However, the strong aroma of aroused embarrassment was not expected. At least the aroused part. “Oh my god! You’re just as bad as my father! Stop fucking with me and just pick something to watch.”

Derek thought he could hear Stiles mumbling something that sounded like stupid, beautiful werewolves who enjoy messing with poor squishy humans. Derek chuckled, squeezed Stiles’ ankle, and pulled up Stranger Things on the TV.

“Nice, go back to the Pilot, we can re-watch all three seasons!”

“Actually, I haven’t watched it yet, but you talked about it incessantly with Scott, so I thought why not now, right?”

Stiles threw him a glorious smile and Derek almost forgot to breathe. That was probably a good thing, because the smell and sight of Stiles in Derek’s most comfortable clothes has been getting stronger and stronger. Derek is fucked.

They settle in and watch the first 3 episodes before calling it a night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry. It's never taken me so long to get back to one of my fics. First I injured my hand which made typing really hard. And frankly, this sheltering at home has affected my mental well-being more than I expected. I will finish this, and have lots of ideas for what will be happening in later chapters. Again, my apologies for waiting so long to continue this, but it will be finished.

Stiles woke up confused. Where was he? Oh, right, he’s stuck at Derek’s. That explains the luxurious sheets rubbing against his skin. Damn, heated bathroom floors and fine linens, he’s really not suffering.

After stretching and a quick stop in the bathroom, Stiles stumbled downstairs in a semi-sleepy haze. The hint of bacon and coffee in the air was just enough to keep him moving. As he entered the kitchen, he nearly tripped over his own feet. Derek was at the stove, frying the bacon, humming to himself. This wasn’t anything particularly noteworthy. However, the fact that Derek was doing so while clad only in low-hanging worn, baggy black sweatpants was just too much for Stiles’ still sleep-fuzzy brain. Jesus, the pants were just barely hanging on, draped over Derek’s ass in a way that was _not_ fair.

Stiles must have made some sort of sound, because Derek turned slightly to shoot him a questioning look. Unfortunately, Stiles was now completely distracted by the vision of Derek’s muscular back twisting, dazed by how those muscles and smooth skin stretched and bunched. How his tattoo shifted with the movement.

“Stiles? Are you okay? Your heart’s going crazy.”

Stiles shook his head in a sad attempt to break out of his daze of sleepy arousal. “Fuck. Um, nothing’s wrong. I just rarely get bacon in the morning and it smells awesome.” It’s not a total lie, please God don’t let Derek question it.

Derek looks at him for a beat longer than is necessary, but just gives him a smile. “Good. Are you hungry then?”

Stiles started choking, knowing that Derek didn’t men it, but the double entendre was unavoidable in his hormone-soaked brain. Shit, Stiles thought, say something. Anything.

“Starving. But I think maybe I’ll take a quick shower to wake myself up. Be right back.”

Derek watched Stiles practically run back up the stairs, a hint of something in the air as he left but Derek couldn’t quite figure out what it was. He turned back to the bacon to make sure it wasn’t burning and hears the guest shower turn on. Maybe he’ll make omelets, he has time now. Plus, the human can probably use the protein, right? Nodding his head, he wandered to the fridge to grab eggs, cheese, spinach and peppers.

He walked back to the stove and started pulling the bacon out of the pan and onto a plate with a paper towel to soak up the grease. As he starts whisking the eggs in a bowl, he notices Stiles’ heartbeat going faster and faster again. Shit, is he about to have a panic attack? Derek drops the whisk in the bowl and starts running up the stairs, worried that Stiles is in his head again worrying about his dad.

Just before Derek got to the bathroom, another sound stopped him dead. That was definitely a breathy moan, and not one that at all suggested panic or pain. Fuck. He never would have heard it if he hadn’t been this close. This is definitely an invasion of Stiles’ privacy and he needs to leave immediately. Oh god, there’s another one, and if he tries, he can almost hear a slick, repetitive sound that might be… Nope, nope. Walk away right now.

Derek stumbled back down the stairs and walked right out onto the back patio. It’s only 40 degrees outside this morning and the cold air is exactly what he needs. Deep breath in, deep breath out. He needs to get over this, because it’s not like Stiles is expected to forgo personal time just because he’s staying with Derek. But what the hell was the rush this morning? Is Stiles turned on by the smell of bacon? Derek lets out a crazed laugh at that thought. He dragged a hand through his sleep-messy hair and finally started to feel more in control. Time to go grab a shirt now that he’s a little chilly and get back to breakfast.

After he wandered back inside, Derek heard that Stiles was out of the shower. Maybe it’s better to stay away from the second floor for a while, just to be safe. “Hey Stiles?” Derek’s shout should be loud enough for the human’s ears to notice.

“Yeah?”

“On you way down, can you grab a shirt for me? It’s a little chilly out this morning.”

Derek hears Stiles start to laugh and choke. “Yeah, no problem!”

_________________

Later in the day Stiles is working in the library and Derek is in the kitchen. Stiles told him he had a Skype call with a client and since he doesn’t have his headphones for the call Derek said he’ll just hang in the kitchen so as not to bother them. Stiles rarely has his headphones, for some reason he hates using them and just likes using the laptop speakers. Whatever, it’s fine.

Derek can hear that their call has started and tries to focus on his current translation contract. He succeeds for about 5 minutes, until he hears Stiles let out a loud bellow of a laugh. Derek smiled, he loves that laugh. He can picture Stiles’ eyes sparkling and his wide-open smile as he makes the noise. _“Come on Stiles, we had such a great time the last time you were in the Bay area. Are you sure you don’t want to consult in person on this one?”_

What the fuck? That sounded super suggestive. Who the hell is Stiles talking to?

_“Oh my god, Paul. That was like two years ago. Yes, it was fun, but there’s no way I’m going anywhere right now. Besides, I’ve just sent you everything I have on Western Speckled Trolls, so you don’t need me there.”_

_“Stiles, it’s not about need, it’s about want. You can’t tell me you don’t want a repeat of last time.”_

Fuck, it’s Paul. Derek remembers that goddam trip two years ago, the one where Stiles came home smelling vaguely of sex and a strange male. He remembers growling and fighting the urge to plaster himself against Stiles to eliminate the stranger’s stench. Since when are they back in contact? He hopes Paul gets crushed by the fucking troll.

Okay, he needs to get out of here because he cannot listen to that asshole continue to hit on Stiles. Time to do the shopping he planned and drop some supplies to the Sheriff. He quickly leaves a note in case Stiles comes looking for him and then runs out to the Camaro.

____________

Stiles ends the call with Paul with confidence that his friend will be able to handle the Troll problem with the info he passed along. He’s a little embarrassed by how persistent Paul was in trying to get him to visit for what would effectively be a booty call. I mean, what the hell? They are in the middle of a fucking pandemic, and Paul is a witch and perfectly able to carry and pass on the virus. Jesus, if he’s so cavalier about the risk for the chance of sex, Stiles wants nothing to do with him. At least sexually, he’s happy to consult and get paid as much as is needed.

Stiles sits back and rubs his hands over his face. Shit, he needs more coffee. And maybe a snack. He pushes out of his chair and wanders to the kitchen and is surprised when Derek isn’t there. “Huh.”

He sees a piece of paper on the table where Derek usually works and picks it up “Went out for supplies, will drop some to your house for your dad. Be back soon.”

“Fuck, he really is perfect.”

He wanders over to the French Press coffee maker, still snickering at what a fucking coffee snob Derek is, and gets his drink ready. He feels his phone buzz in his pocket and pulls it out to find a message from Scott.

“Dude! Derek texted you might get the CORONA! That sucks! D says all of us must stay away from his place and you to avoid spreading it. I’ll keep an eye on your Dad, don’t worry!”

Stiles laughs and sighs, and frankly appreciates how seriously Derek is taking this. Take that, Paul!

“I’m fine dude, but thx. Derek will also drop stuff to my dad but not in person because he’s now stuck with me. Sorry you guys can’t have your normal puppy piles now. ”

“No worries, we can just pile without D somewhere else. Keep us posted!”

Oh shit. Stiles hadn’t thought about that. Now Derek, out of an abundance of caution, is going to miss physical contact with the pack. As their pack dynamics normalized these last few years, Stiles learned how much regular, frequent touch matters to the wolves. Shit. And it’s not like Derek’s even at risk of getting sick himself, just of passing it to someone else. And knowing Derek’s history with a strong martyr complex, he would never have said anything about it.

Well, he could always cuddle with him. Stiles thinks he can probably keep his reactions platonic. Probably.

___________

Stiles is in the kitchen when Derek gets home. He notices that Derek has a suspicious number of bags that are not all from the grocery store. “Dude, did you go and get supplies from the drug store even though I said you don’t need to unless I actually get sick?”

Derek’s ears turn a little red and he doesn’t quite make eye contact with Stiles. “I just figured that since I was out I might as well do it all.” Derek walked fully into the kitchen and set all the bags on the table. Stiles moved to help, but Derek gestured him away. “No Stiles, I’m going to keep disinfecting everything. It’s not guaranteed you will get sick, so why further expose you? Also, from what I read the extent to which someone is exposed might be linked to the likelihood they get sick and how sick they get. So, we are still going to keep you as minimally exposed as possible.”

Derek’s voice is gruff but firm, and Stiles can’t help but smile. “Okay, big guy. I get you want to protect the squishy human. I’ll leave you to it.”

Derek sighs. “Stiles, you aren’t any squishier than the rest of us. And you are low risk, but why take chances, right?”

Stiles smiles and nods at him. Then he clears his throat so he doesn’t sound weird for this next thing.

“So, um, one more thing. Um, I got a text from Scott that you banned all pack from the house in case I’m sick.”

“Yeah, I don’t want any more people exposed to you just in case you are getting sick and they could passively spread it. I thought that would be good, you know, keep Melissa and your Dad at less risk?”

“Oh dude, yes, I think it’s a really good idea. Very socially conscious. I just, um, well. That means you can’t be in any of the pack piles for the next two weeks, right?”

Derek’s eyes go back to the groceries. “Yeah, it’s fine. No big deal. I went years without it, so a few weeks is no problem.”

“Okay. Well, I mean, I know that you _can_ handle it, but that doesn’t mean it won’t suck for you to miss on it. I know how important it is for you guys. So, I mean, if it would help, I’m here.” Stiles can feel his face heating up. Dammit.

“What? Stiles, what do you mean?”

“Just that Scott cuddles me all the time since he was turned into a werewolf, so I mean, if it would help you at all you can totally do that with me too. Consent is given, and all that.”  
  
Stiles feels slightly mollified that he can see Derek’s face starting to blush, as well. “Are you sure? I know it’s not instinct for humans, I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I really will be okay.”

“Dude, I love cuddles. It would be no hardship. I’ll be missing my Dad’s Stilinski hugs, anyway. So just do what you need to, okay? I just don’t want to make you to be uncomfortable for no reason, especially when I really don’t mind.”

He knows that Derek can hear the truth in that. Maybe that is what makes Derek agree. “Okay, Thanks. I really appreciate it.” The small smile Derek shoots his way almost makes Stiles melt into a puddle of love goo. Fuck, not love. Like goo, a puddle of like goo.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning Derek makes breakfast again and can hear when Stiles starts to wake up. He knows he’s being ridiculous, but he’s cooking bacon again, just to see if Stiles has the same reaction.

Like the morning before, Stiles stumbled down the stairs and into the kitchen, bleary eyed. “Oh my god, you’re making bacon again? This house is officially the best. I’ll get coffee going.”

“There’s already a carafe ready, help yourself.”

“You’re the best, dude. Seriously.”

Stiles pats Derek on the shoulder as he wanders to grab the coffee. Derek is not surprised, but maybe a bit disappointed that the smell of bacon didn’t send Stiles into a horny haze like yesterday, but now he is really curious about what that was all about. He knows what he hopes it was about, that maybe it was something about seeing Derek cooking that did it, but since it didn’t happen today he’s got nothing.

Stiles takes a seat at the table and enjoys the view of Derek preparing their breakfast while he sips designer coffee that he didn’t have to pay for or make himself. He could get really used to this. Thankfully the werewolf was actually wearing a t-shirt this morning, making it a lot easier to keep calm.

After a few minutes Derek wanders over with their plates of bacon, scrambled eggs, and sliced strawberries. And is that a sprig of mint in the berries?

“Derek, did you seriously add a decorative garnish to our breakfast?” Stiles knows he is smiling like a loon, but this is the most adorable fucking thing. And yes, the big strong wolfman is blushing.

“Sorry if it’s too much. My dad always used to go all out with our family breakfasts, made them so special and beautiful. He loved how much the whole family appreciated it, it made him happy. I guess having someone else here, it made me want to do the same.”

Stiles is pretty sure that his heart will never be the same after cohabiting with Derek if the dopey smile he knows is on his on his face is any indication. “I think that’s awesome. And I hope you can tell how much I love it. It sounds like a really nice tradition, and believe me, I’m not ever going to complain if you keep making beautiful breakfast while I’m here.”

Not even thinking about it, Stiles had reached over and squeezed Derek’s hand. Before he could awkwardly pull it away Derek turned his hand over so he could give a small squeeze back before they dug into the delicious food

They were close to finishing their breakfast when Derek’s phone rang, and it sounded like a facetime call. Stiles looked up and watched as Derek wiped his face off with his napkin then held out his phone to answer. “Hey loser, what’s new?”

Derek just smiled and Stiles laughed, recognizing Cora’s voice. “Hi Cor, what’s going on?”

“Not much, but did I hear someone else there? Are you having breakfast with someone? Don’t tell me you finally got laid.”

“Cora!”

Stiles is full on laughing now and runs over to share in Derek’s embarrassment. “Hey Cora! Sorry, he’s not that lucky. Pun intended.”

They both snicker while Derek looks like he wants to hit something. “Will you two please lay off.”

Stiles just starts laughing again, “Oh my god Der, lay off? Are you purposely making it easier for us to mess with you?”

Stiles feels breathless with laughter, and uses it as an excuse to basically drape himself over Derek’s back, resting his chin on Derek’s shoulder so he can see the phone screen. Happily, Derek doesn’t seem to mind.

“You two are ridiculous, do you know that?”

“What’s that supposed to mean? Derek, don’t let your sister pick on me.”

“Really? I thought it was you and my sister ganging up on me?”

Stiles notices that Cora gets that look, the one where she’s about to do something evil and entertaining. He’s more than a little nervous. Derek must notice as well because Stiles can feel his back tense up. “So Der, what about that last date you went on? You never told me about it, how’d it go?”

Out of pure anguish that Stiles will have to process later, he stands up and away from Derek. “What the hell? When did you go on a date? Why didn’t you say anything?”

Derek wants to kill his sister, who he knows is highly aware of his feelings for Stiles. Why does she have to fuck with him, what did he ever to do deserve this? He looks at Stiles who is now standing rigid behind him, missing the pressure and warmth of Stiles pressed against his back.

Stiles looks really pissed, and he smells hurt. Shit.

“Cora shut the fuck up and stop messing with us. You know I haven’t been on a date in like years. What the hell?”

Derek watches as his evil sister looks from Derek to Stiles, very obviously and with a smirk. “Really? I was under the impression you were dating pretty regularly. My mistake.”

Derek looks back at Stiles and can tell he’s not angry any more, his broad shoulders are now more relaxed and his face isn’t so red. He also smells much calmer. If Derek had to put a name to it, he’d say Stiles smelled like happiness and relief? Is that possible? Was Stiles jealous?

“Cora, you have a really weird way of messing with your brother, you know that?”

“Who said it was Derek I was messing with?”

Stiles face turned a little white and he mumbled something about needing to go grab a shower before starting his consulting for the day.

Once Stiles was upstairs and in the bathroom, Derek felt safe to ask Cora what the hell she was thinking. “What the fuck, Cora?”

“Derek, you two are so fucking blind and stupid it actually pains me. Why is he there this morning? Please tell me you finally fucked and made it official.”

“No, of course not. Jesus, Cora. Stiles is staying here for a few weeks because he was possibly exposed to Coronavirus and it’s safer than being at home with his dad. That’s it. And I really don’t appreciate your meddling. Stiles and I have been getting along really well so far with him living here and I don’t want to make everything awkward. So please just lay off it, okay?”

Cora has a frustrated look on her face. “Derek, are you kidding me? You two are so gone on each other that even dumbass McCall can see it. I’ve had actual conversations with the Sheriff wondering about when you both will get your heads out of your asses. This is the perfect opportunity.”

Derek hasn’t felt this uncomfortable in a long time. He can’t even look at his sister, feeling ashamed that everyone has been able to see through him so easily. “Do you think Stiles knows?”

“No idiot, that’s the entire problem. Neither of you will admit what is so obvious to all of us. You’re both as gone on each other and like Lois Fucking Lane you can’t see what is right in front of you. Der, look at me.”

She waits, impatiently because it’s Cora, but she waits until he finally looks back up at the phone. “You deserve this, Derek. You two fit together in a weird way. I still don’t get it, but you work. You’re both hot, you’re both stupid and smart, and you are some of the most idiotically loyal people I’ve ever known. You just need to take a chance, and honestly we all know it’s no risk.”

Derek huffs out a breath at that. “I don’t know, his client yesterday was basically begging him to come visit for _more_ good times. It was pretty apparent they had a history.” Derek couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice even though he has no right.

Cora growled at that. “Yeah, and did Stiles agree to go? I’m betting he said no, right? Stiles hasn’t been with anyone in a long time, Derek. Do you ever wonder why that is? We all know why you have been basically celibate for the last few years, but Stiles has had plenty of opportunities. Why do you think he doesn’t take them? And why do you think he always works at your place and sees you more than even his own father, who he lives with? You two are basically already married, you just aren’t doing any of the fun sexy stuff. It’s stupid. So stop being so goddam stupid.”

Derek drops his head to the table, not even caring about whatever view Cora must have right now. “You can’t put these ideas into my head. He’s my best friend. I can’t fuck that up. It’s not worth risking what we have.”

He can hear his sister sigh. “Derek, that’s just it. It is worth it. Just think about it, okay? Try paying attention, Stiles is in love with you. I know it. You just need to open your stupid eyes and you’ll see it, too.”

Derek raises his head and looks at his sister. He knows she’s trying to help him, but hearing all of this freaks the hell out of him. Without thinking about it, in true Stiles fashion, he blurts out the first thing that comes to mind. “Do you think humans can get turned on by the smell of bacon?”

He regrets everything. Everything. He hangs up on Cora because her snorting laughter was so obnoxious he knew he would be hearing it in the back of his mind for the rest of the day.

_____________

Stiles got out of the shower and tried to stay calm. The warm shower helped, but he’s struggling. Clearly, Cora knows about his feelings for Derek. Why else would she have said those things? Jesus. If she says anything to Derek, he’ll never be able to look at him. As much as Scott is his brother from another mother, Derek has become his best friend. Sure, he feels a whole lot more than friendship for him, but he would be devastated if his stupid feelings made Derek uncomfortable around him. He got dressed, in Derek’s clothes, and tried to stay calm and collected as he went downstairs to work for the day, praying that Derek wasn’t going to be weird.

Stiles walked into the library and Derek was already there with his laptop and a few books spread out at his table. Stiles nodded at him like he normally would and got set up at his usual spot. This is good, this feels pretty normal. Thank god.

A few hours later Stiles noticed that Derek was twitchy. It’s super weird because that is something that Stiles does, not what you expect from Derek. It’s distracting enough that Stiles can’t hold himself back. “Derek, what’s the matter? Are you okay? You’re acting like me, all twitchy and shit.”

Derek sighs and blushes a little but says he’s fine. “Dude, clearly something is up. What’s wrong?”

Derek finally makes eye contact and sighs again. “Sorry. I’m just missing the pack contact, I think. I didn’t realize it would start to bother me so soon. I think that because you smell like pack but there hasn’t been real contact like I’ve gotten used to, it is maybe affecting me harder or something. I’m not sure.”

Exasperated, Stiles stands up. “Derek, we talked about this. You know I’m down to cuddle anytime you need to, okay? I mean, if you aren’t comfortable doing that with me I will try not to be offended, but you don’t need to feel off when we already talked about this.”

Stiles wonders if the conversation this morning made Derek not want to touch him. Fuck, that makes him want to cry if he’s honest.

“I just didn’t want to bother you, you looked like you were getting a lot done. My wolf is being super irritating, I didn’t mean to distract you.”

Thank god, Stiles thought. It’s not because Derek’s weirded out by his stupid feelings. “It’s fine. I’m at a good stopping point if you want to just take care of it now. Besides, your twitching was pretty weird. I sort of understand why people are always yelling at me.”

That made Derek laugh, which is exactly what Stiles hoped for. Nothing like laughter to relieve the weird tension. “Okay, so how do we do this? What is best for you? When Scott wolf-snuggles me it’s usually on one of our beds while playing video games or something.” Oh my god, why did he just suggest a bed. Come on Stiles, grow a brain-to-mouth-filter, please.

Derek stands up and motions to the comfy leather couch. “This is fine, um, if you want to just lie down, I’ll do the rest okay?”

Stiles swallowed a huge lump in his throat, praying to avoid awkward growth below the belt because his borrowed sweatpants will not hide anything. “Sure thing.”

Stiles laid down, propped his head against the arm rest with a pillow and just waited, like an awkward turtle. He tried not to choke on his own tongue when Derek pulled his shirt off before settling next to Stiles on the couch. “The skin on skin will help, it’s the mixing of scent as well as touch that my wolf needs. Is that okay?”

“Yup. Fine. Tots awesome. No problem.” Please mouth, please shut up.

Derek settled in more closely, one leg draped over Stiles hips to rest between Stiles’ own legs, one warm arm pushed up under Stiles’ borrowed Henley and rubbing up and down the side of his ribs. Derek is so warm, it’s intoxicating. Derek nuzzled his nose under Stiles chin, rubbing it up and down around his neck, while his other hand sneaked under Stiles’ head to gently hold him in place.

Stiles is so overstimulated, his skin feels warm and tingly, hypersensitive every place where Derek touches it. He tries to focus and breath normally, but it’s a struggle. And when he’s feeling awkward, it’s like his mouth has a mind of its own. “So, I’m not going to lie, this is a lot different than when Scott snuggles me.” At that he can literally feel Derek get stiff and start to pull away. “No no no no no, don’t go. It’s not a bad different, just different. Do not stop, you are so warm and cozy.” Stiles wraps his arms around Derek’s back to keep him in place and he feels Derek begin to relax again.

Derek’s face is still buried in Stiles’ neck. “It depends on what the wolf side wants, it sort of directs how we do this. Scott’s wolf probably cuddles differently with everyone, it depends on the relationship, level of trust, smell, all sorts of things.”

“Ah, right. Cool. So, um, is this helping?”

Derek’s chest rumbles and he nuzzles even more into Stiles’ sensitive neck. Jesus, he’s going to have beard burn and he cannot be thinking about that right now. “Hmmm, yeah. Really helps, just a few more minutes?”

Stiles sighs and hugs Derek to him tighter. “As long as you need buddy. Stiles loves cuddles, especially with Sourwolves.”

Derek nips at Stiles neck for the insult, but rather than be afraid Stiles has to work double time, thinking about his old lacrosse coach naked to keep from moaning. Derek seems to settle in, rubbing himself all over Stiles until he practically purrs. Stiles lost all track of time, but eventually he was so warm and cozy he almost fell asleep. Derek nudged Stiles temple with his nose right before pulling himself off the couch. Stiles was proud of himself for not making grabby hands and pulling Derek back down where he belonged.

Once Stiles had his wits back, he sat up and looked at Derek as he pulled his shirt back on. “Do you feel better? Did it help?”

Derek gave him a warm smile and nodded before going back to his table. Stiles smiled to himself, happy that he made Derek feel good. Even without any sexy times, if he could stay close with Derek and have cuddles like that, he would be happy.


	5. Chapter 5

Derek went to bed that night feeling both uneasy and giddy. Scent marking Stiles, which Stiles called cuddling, had been a revelation. Not only was being that close to Stiles more incredible than he imagined, and he had thought about it a lot, but every chemosignal Stiles put out said the human really enjoyed it. The entire time Stiles smelled relaxed, happy, and aroused. The entire experience was addicting, having permission to touch all of that soft and smooth skin, to inhale his gorgeous scent as much as he wanted. If only he could have followed his hands with his tongue.

And the more Derek rubbed and nuzzled against him, the more deeply relaxed and comfortable Stiles seemed to be. Derek thought about the sex he has had with a handful of people, several of which resulted in legitimate tragedy to his life; snuggling and scenting Stiles on the couch was possibly the most intimate thing he has ever experienced with another person, making all sex from his past pale in comparison.

Maybe Cora was right, maybe he has been blind to Stiles’ feelings, so convinced that his desire for the human was so one-sided that he refused to consider anything else. All he can do now is follow his sister’s advice, keep his eyes and mind open and see what happens next.

____________

Stiles made sure he stayed up later than Derek that night, which was pretty normal for the two anyway. Derek was definitely a morning person whereas Stiles has always been a night owl. By midnight he’s pretty sure that Derek has been asleep for at least an hour, so he finally feels free to do what he needs without the risk of being heard.

Ever since their cuddle session that afternoon, Stiles drifted in a weird cloud of relaxed horniness. Thankfully he didn’t show any obvious signs of how turned on the snuggling and nuzzling got him, but he’s nearly desperate now to relieve the tension now that too-sensitive werewolf ears won’t be listening. Even so, he plans to be as quiet as possible.

As if the entire day was an extended form of foreplay, he knows that this isn’t going to take very long. He dragged his fingers down his stomach and sides, taking the same path that Derek’s warm hands had earlier that day. Even at dinner, Stiles couldn’t help but focus on Derek’s hands while they ate their meal, remembering how soft and warm they felt as they ran over every bump of his ribs.

Although he hasn’t given his cock any attention, it is already hard and red, weeping onto his stomach. As much as Stiles would like to savor this feeling after bottling it up all day, he just can’t. With his other hand he quickly licks his palm and grabs his dick, squeezing it at first to get a bit of control. He doesn’t use lube because he doesn’t want Derek to smell it on him later, but in his current state his spit covered hand is more than enough.

“Oh, fuck.” He sighs into his pillow as he plants his feet on the bed so he can push his hips into the air to fuck his fist. He tries to be as quiet as he can, but he’s just so turned on, imaging Derek’s large warm hand pumping up and down his cock, how Derek’s thumb would feel pressed right under the head where he’s most sensitive. With his other hand he pulls on his balls, loving the pain/pleasure it adds. If he was feeling bolder, he would play with his hole, but knowing himself all too well, he would never be able to stay quiet if he fingered himself too. It doesn’t matter, this is enough. Derek may not know it, but he’s contributing to one of the best moments of self-pleasure Stiles has ever experienced. 

After only a few more minutes Stiles can feel his balls pull in tight to his body and that zinging sensation start to shoot up his spine. He shoots directly onto his hand and belly, not making a sound, body tense and shaking as he works through his orgasm. Only then does he relax his body back to lay on the bed, a huge sleepy smile plastered across his face. “Fuck.”

After a few minutes of enjoying the afterglow, he managed to walk to the bathroom to clean himself up. He is pretty sure that his morning shower will get rid of any residual smell alerting Derek to what he got up to last night.

He sleeps well and hard, with a smile on his face.

____________

Stiles slept late the next morning and when he wandered into the kitchen he found a note from Derek.

_Stiles – There’s granola and cereal in the cabinet and fruit and yogurt in the fridge. Help yourself. Coffee was made and just needs to be reheated. I had to run a few errands and will be back by lunch. D_

“Hmm, wonder what he’s up to?”

Stiles grabbed some granola (Derek’s homemade stuff, it’s incredible), some fruit and a cup of reheated coffee and went to his workspace. Rather than work, he Skyped his Dad who should be at work right now.

“Stiles! You look good, how are you? Feeling okay so far?”

“Hi Dad, yeah feel fine. Fingers crossed I didn’t actually catch anything.”

“We can only hope. So, I just saw Derek, thanks again for letting him know the stuff we needed, such a relief.”

“What? I thought he dropped stuff to you the other day?”

“Oh, he did. But he got more surgical masks delivered and dropped them off to the station for all the deputies. I’m not sure where he ordered them from, but since we’ve been rationing ours it’s a huge relief to have more here. He also somehow got a bulk order of touch free thermometers so we can all do checks safely when we get to work, and he brought us more hand sanitizer. I think we’ll be set now for a few weeks which is such a relief. And don’t worry, he stayed away from everyone when he dropped it all off, just waved from outside and walked away before we went to grab the bags.”

Stiles is stunned. He had no idea Derek was getting supplies for the Sheriff’s office. He can’t think of a single thing to say and the expression on his face makes his dad stop and look at him.

“Stiles? Are you alright?”

Stiles tries to clear the lump sitting in the middle of his throat. “Yeah. Yeah. I just. I had no idea he was ordering you guys PPE. He left a note this morning that he had some errands to run, but…”

“Stiles. Stiles look at me son.”

Stiles didn’t even realize he wasn’t focused on his dad. He looks back at his laptop screen and sees his dad has a soft expression on his face. “Dad, I can’t believe he did that.” Even Stiles can hear the emotion breaking through his voice.

His dad sighs. “Son, why on earth does this surprise you? If I know you, which I do, I’m sure you’ve been obsessing about how the staff at the station are all essential workers and how anxious you have been about our ability to stay safe. Derek is just trying to watch out for us and to make you less stressed.”

“But that’s so much. It must have been so hard to get all of those supplies. He must have ordered it all weeks ago.”

“Son, are you really telling me that Derek going out of his way to make you happy is a surprise?”

Stiles can feel his face blushing. “Of course not! He’s awesome and is constantly doing things for everyone but himself. I just can’t believe he didn’t even tell me.”

“Son, you know I love you and am proud of you, right?”

Stiles instantly goes on alert. “Yes…”

“Good, so I’m telling you this with nothing but love for you. You, my son, are a stupid idiot.”

Stiles snorted his reheated coffee out his nose. Which hurt. “What the hell, Dad?!”

“Derek may be a surprisingly thoughtful man, but if you think he would go to all this effort for anyone other than you or the people important to you, you’re a stupid idiot. That man would literally give you the shirt off his back.”

Stiles shoulders hunched in, sheathed in Derek’s shirt no less. His dad just continued on.

“I know how you feel about him, Stiles. Don’t even try to deny it. Your long-term puppy love crush on Lydia was bad, but what you have been feeling for Derek these last few years is the real deal.”

Stiles can feel his eyes welling up and he has no idea why. He thought this was one of those subjects that they all agreed to never discuss out loud.

“Dad, please. I just can’t, okay?”

“Stiles, I’m not trying to pressure you or make assumptions, but I know you. And Derek is just as bad at hiding his feelings as you are. You’re at his home, living together for at least the next few weeks, don’t you think this might be a good time to have a talk with him? See if maybe you two have been on the same page all along and just too afraid to say anything?”

“Dad, this is the worst possible time. What if you’re wrong? Then I’m stuck here, Derek will be all weird and uncomfortable, but undoubtedly kind to me in his pity for my unfortunate feelings. It would be awful. So far it’s been great being here and I really don’t want to mess it up.”

“Stiles, if one of you doesn’t grow a vajayjay soon, woman up and talk this out, you two will end up bachelor friends for the next 30 years. That would be stupid.”

“Hang on. Stop right now. Did you just say to grow a vajayjay? Woman up? What the hell?”  
His dad blushed and snickered, which was oddly endearing. “I was chatting with Cora and she informed me that a vagina is way tougher than testicles and how she never understood why being called a pussy was considered weak and growing a pair of balls meant being tough. As she so delicately put it, ‘A vagina is literally designed to take a pounding whereas balls run and hide if they get cold out. We both know which is tougher here, don’t we?’ I’m still not fully used to her straight talk, but she makes a good point.”

Stiles, again, has no response. He just stares at his dad for about 30 seconds with absolutely nothing.

“You still breathing there, son?”

“One: I need to talk to Derek about these chats you and his sister keep having. I’m not psychologically prepared for this shit. Two, Cora said vagina, yet you threw out vajayjay. What the hell? Have you been watching The View or something?”

“Oh, well, Melissa sometimes says that when, well…”

“OH MY GOD JUST STOP TALKING. NO MORE. NO MORE WORDS. YOU ARE THE WORST AND THIS IS THE WORST AND I CAN’T TAKE ANYMORE. BYE DAD I LOVE YOU AND WASH YOUR HANDS.” Stiles slammed his laptop shut, officially traumatized by so many things that he’s decided to take a personal day.

______________

Stiles decided to make an awesome lunch, because he was struggling with how to thank Derek for caring so much about his Dad. He made a big salad that they could also have for dinner, and his special chicken salad sandwiches which he knows Derek loves. It’s his mom’s secret recipe which includes white wine to add a bit of extra flavor to the chicken, but he’s never told Derek the secret. And since the wine was open, he pours them each a glass which he keeps chilled in the refrigerator.

He has everything set at the kitchen counter when he hears the door open.

Now super nervous, Stiles wonders if he’s gone too far. Derek walks into the kitchen, clearly headed for the laundry room as he’s already started to remove his shirt. They both are in the habit of throwing clothes in the laundry as soon as they return home from errands (for Stiles, usually at his house), but Stiles has never seen Derek in the process of doing so before. It may be the sight of Derek’s gorgeous chest, or the way Derek froze after the shirt was off, staring at the lunch set-up Stiles had worked on. Whatever it was, Stiles brain sort of short circuited and without his conscious permission he found himself running toward Derek and throwing his arms around his neck.

On instinct alone, Derek, wrapped his arms around Stiles who was shaking and burying his face in Derek’s neck. “Stiles? What’s going on? What is it?”

Stiles clung to Derek even tighter, but turned his face so he could talk and still stay hidden under his chin. “Fuck. Thank you so much. My dad told me what you did today, the supplies you dropped to the station. I can’t believe you did that.” Afraid he was going to get even more emotional, he stopped talking and just burrowed even closer to Derek, realizing belatedly that he’s probably scenting Derek just like Derek did to him the day before.

Derek can feel Stiles shaking and runs a hand through his hair to calm him down. “Hey, it’s fine. It’s no big deal. Of course I’m going to look out for your dad. I would have told you about the order, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. And you really should get off of me, I could have germs on me and you could get sick.

Stiles just clung on even tighter. “I don’t care. I can’t believe you, sometimes.” Stiles pulled his face out of Derek’s neck and grabbed the gorgeous wolf’s cheeks with both hands. “You did not have to do that, and I want to make sure you understand how fucking special you are for doing it. Okay?”

Derek could feel his face turning red, loving how he is going to smell like Stiles now, and how close they both are. “You’re welcome.”

Stiles looked at him for a long moment, still holding his face like it was something precious. Finally, he nodded and stepped back. “Okay, good. Glad we are clear. Now, finish getting changed and we can eat lunch. My small way for thanking you. Okay?”

Derek smiled a real, genuine smile, and wandered to the laundry room to get his clothes cleaned so he could do just that. He can already smell the special chicken salad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1\. I'm sure you can guess why Cora and the Sheriff were chatting. ;-)  
> 2\. The comparison of the toughness of a vagina and testicles is not my original thought. Years ago I heard someone else say basically the same thing (really wish I could remember who, but I can't), and it stuck with me. It is SO true.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter probably needs more editing, probably not my best work given the current state of the world. I'm currently living about 2 miles from the center of the rioting in the US and to say I haven't been able to focus is an understatement. It feels like the world is burning right now, my love to everyone.

Later that afternoon Stiles was in the library, looking online for any new sources that might be useful for his business. He’s found over the years that people often think books they own that have legitimate information about the supernatural world are just really well-written fantasy or horror novels. He’s found two books through an indy dealer out of St. Louis that look promising. He had just sent over his payment information when his phone dinged with a new text.

Scotty McPuppyface: Hey! How r u? Still ok?

Stiles: Yeah dude, still good, just tired. How’s your mom?

Scotty McPuppyface: Good, tired.

Stiles: Glad she’s ok. What’s up?

Scotty McPuppyface: Tell D we have the shields and Kira, Isaac and I are going to get them installed at the station. We have extra and are taking them to the grocery store in case they could use them.

Stiles: Shields?

Scotty McPuppyface: Clear plastic to separate desks, like they have near cash registers at stores. D ordered some to install since we can’t get sick. Someone he knew from the house construction was able to order them or something.

Stiles: Unbelievable. Ok – I’ll tell him. Also, that was your longest text ever.

Scotty McPuppyface: So… anything else going on over there?

Stiles: ???

Scotty McPuppyface: You know, some and XOXOs

Stiles: Dude. WTF.

Scotty McPuppyface: No lovins? Dude, why not? This is your chance!

Stiles: OMG. We’re not talking about this. Why does everyone suddenly think this is okay to talk about.

Scotty McPuppyface: But, you luv him. I know it. I’m making puppy eyes.

Stiles: Seriously, stop it! This convo is over. IDKW but ILY. Stay safe.

Scotty McPuppyface: Just kiss him!

Stiles turned off his phone screen, he can’t handle any more “sweet and thoughtful Derek” paired with pressure from his family. No more. He is just a man, he only has so much control at this point. Stiles slowly lowered his head to the table, trying to make sense of how much his perspective on his relationship with Derek has shifted over the last few days.

Part of him resents the bullying and pressure, even though he knows that it comes from a place of love from his dad and Scott. Cora, who knows. But he can admit to himself that they have forced him to look at things a little differently than he would have a week ago.

Maybe it is possible Derek feels the same way, maybe he is doing all these things because he cares for Stiles as more than just friends.

But, Derek could totally be doing these things because he and Stiles are just so close now, in a completely platonic way. The difference now is that Stiles thinks, maybe, there’s an actual chance that both of them are feeling non-platonic.

He can see it in his mind, as he’s imagined it before, what it would be like to really _be_ _with_ Derek. Not holding back on the casual touches he desperately wants to give and receive, be able to see those small secret smiles on Derek’s face more often and the way his eyes crinkle when he’s really happy. Be able to snuggle in his werewolf warmth just because he wants to, not needing an excuse to do it. To be able to do all the little things he thinks about all the time that he knows would make Derek happy, not hesitating because he’s afraid it will give away his feelings. Maybe he’s able to finally admit how fucking much he really wants it all.

But Derek is damaged when it comes to romantic relationships. It’s why he’s been single for so long, unable to trust someone in that way because of all the times he’s been burned (literally) by past lovers. Even if he does have feelings for Stiles, would he actually be ready to act on them? Ugh, his mind and heart are such a mess and he’s too tired for all this confusion.

_________

Derek made a tasty green curry chicken dish for dinner, and Stiles felt so warm and full he’s barely able to get through the meal with his eyes open.

“Stiles?”

“Hmm?”

“You okay? You’re a little flushed?”

Stiles smiled, Derek was such a worrywolf. “I’m fine, but this meal was SO delicious. I’m so full of yummy spicy food and rice. I’m just a little sleepy.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Stiles took the time to look at Derek, and the wolf was a little flushed as well. Something was off. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah. I just was going to see if you wouldn’t mind me scenting you again tonight. If you’re tired and just want to relax it’s no big deal and can wait, I’m not feeling that bad yet.”

“Of course we can! Der, I enjoyed it, it was so relaxing and you’re super warm. I’ll probably fall asleep so seriously, so feel free to have your way with me.”

Now, Stiles is famous for awkward verbal diarrhea, but he’s also known for being pretty fucking smart and strategic. Maybe it’s because he is so relaxed and oddly tired tonight, but he really wants to see how Derek reacts to that very not-subtle inuendo.

Derek hadn’t planned on choking at the kitchen table, but here he is. As he continued to clear water from his lungs while Stiles beat his back to help, he couldn’t decide whether Stiles was intentionally torturing him or not. Have his way with him, if Stiles only knew. And what really had him choking was that he couldn’t detect a lie when Stiles said it. So, maybe he does know how Derek feels? Maybe even if he doesn’t know how Derek feels, he is hinting that he might be interested? Why is this so fucking complicated, he feels like a teenager.

“I’m fine, I’m fine.”

Stiles rubbed soothing, tantalizing circles on his back and Derek sort of wants it to never stop. “You’re sure you are okay? I hate it when I choke on things. Thankfully my gag reflex is like, non-existent so that helps.” Stiles pats Derek on the back and heads into the den. He has to be fucking with him, right? He has to be.

_________   
  


Stiles pulled his shirt over his head and plopped down on the couch. He has no idea what came over him, but he’s tired and feeling sort of weird. He isn’t drunk, but he kind of feels that way. Maybe it was his Dad and Scott’s voices in his head. He was pretty obvious, so it’s Derek’s turn if anything is going to happen.

Not a moment later Stiles watched as Derek walked into the den and spotted him on the couch.

“Fuck.” Derek may have thought he said that quietly, but Stiles definitely heard it. Damn if it didn’t turn him on even more. Derek was looking at him with want and need, there really was no other way to describe it. My god, he thinks he may really be able to have this. He never imagined he would see Derek look at him in such a way. How much time have they wasted?

Stiles opened his arms and smiled. “Come here, Der. It’s okay.”

Derek snapped out of his temporary paralysis. He whipped off his sweater and approached the couch.

“Stiles?”

“Just come here, Der.” Stiles reached his hand toward Derek’s to pull him down.

Derek was a little concerned he was dreaming, but his senses are telling him this is real. “Jesus, look at you Stiles.” Derek moved down and draped himself next to Stiles’ side, pinning the human between the back of the couch and his chest.

“Hmm. So warm, come on cuddle wolf, snuggle me. I’m cold.”

Derek could hardly focus with Stiles’ chest laid bare for him. His hands couldn’t stop stroking and touching. Stiles threw his leg over Derek’s hip and pulled him even closer.

Derek burrowed his face in Stiles’ long neck, just barely able to keep from licking and sucking and marking up that gorgeous canvas of pale speckled skin. “Stiles, what are you doing? Is this…”

Stiles ran his hands soothingly up Derek’s back, let one hand glide up his neck and into his dark, soft hair to gently graze his nails down his scalp. “This is as much or as little as you want it to be, okay? I don’t know what is going on with me, but I guess I’m just too tired of keeping all of this need I have for you bottled up. If this is something you aren’t comfortable with, we can just go back, you are too important to me so I’m happy to have you however you want and need. It just seemed recently like, maybe you also want something more? Fuck Der, I don’t even know.”

Derek can’t believe this is happening. He groaned at the feeling of Stiles wrapped around him, his heat and scent absolutely intoxicating. Feeling surer about what exactly this is, he pulled his face away from that gorgeous neck and looked into those whiskey-warm brown eyes. He knows this is an important moment and words have never been his strength, which is ironic given his profession as a translator. “Stiles, you are the only thing I want. The only thing I can’t live without. I just didn’t know that you. That we both.” Lost for fucking words, as usual.

Stiles didn’t seem to care, he just pulled Derek’s face to his own, let his eyelids close, and gently pressed his lips to Derek’s.

Someone groaned through the kiss, but neither is sure who. Stiles shivered as he deepened the kiss, giving Derek access to his mouth and finally, finally learning Derek’s taste, something to which he thinks he could become addicted.

At the same time Derek moved his arms around Stiles’ back and up toward his shoulders, pressing them even more tightly together.

Their mouths moved languidly but passionately, in no hurry to press this further, cherishing that this is now something they can do, something they both clearly have wanted.

Eventually Stiles pulled his head back to catch his breath, giving Derek the opportunity to move onto his neck where he proceeded to lave and suck. This neck has tormented him for years and fuck he could worship it for hours. As he moved even lower, he could feel Stiles shaking. “Derek, fuck. Feels so fucking good. I love that you are making me smell like yours, have wanted this for so long. Jesus I’m cold, get back up here and snuggle me.”

Derek pulled back and looked at Stiles, for the first time since the end of their meal without the haze of lust.

His face is flushed and his eyes are a little glassy. “Stiles, are you okay?”

A deep shiver wracked Stiles body and he lunged toward Derek, clearly seeking the wolf’s warmth. “ ‘M cold, Der. Come back.”

Almost immediately Derek’s arousal fliped to concern. “Shit, Stiles. Is this how you feel when you have a fever? You do feel a bit warmer than usual to me.” Derek places his hands on Stiles’ forehead to feel for a fever.

“What?” Stiles eyes go huge, even for him. “Oh shit. Shit. No! Oh my god, am I getting sick?”

Derek pulled him close, giving him the warmth he wanted. “It’s okay. I’ve got all the stuff we need. I’ll take care of you, okay? You’re going to be fine.”

“Dammit, what the actual fuck. How can our timing be this bad? Seriously, Der. I finally have you exactly where I’ve been dreaming about for years and I get the fucking Coronavirus.”

Derek can scent Stile’s frustration, disappointment, and fear. “Hey, hey Stiles come on. Stop. Look at me, okay? So, you may be sick for a few weeks, but now that we both know how we feel, we have all the time in the world. Okay? I’m not going anywhere. You know that.”

Stiles just snuggled in closer, wanting nothing more than for Derek to make him feel better. “Yeah. I know. I’m just sorry, if I really have the virus this is going to suck and I feel so bad you are stuck taking care of me.”

Derek grabbed Stiles right hand and placed the palm against his sternum. “Stiles I know you can’t hear my heart, but if you can feel it beating you will know I’m not lying. If you are sick, I don’t want you anywhere else but here so I can take care of you. I want you here, I want to do this. Okay?”

Stiles gave him a watery smile of gratitude and Derek made a vow in that moment that he will do anything necessary to make sure Stiles is okay. He doesn’t have any known risk factors, thank god, but he’s not taking any chances.

Derek stood up and lifted Stiles into a bridal carry like he was a child. “Okay, I’m putting you to bed and we’ll take your temperature. I got Tylenol if you do have a fever. I’m going to prop you up in my bed so you don’t have any trouble breathing tonight.” Derek paused and listened for a second. “Your lungs sound fine to me, but I’ll be there all night and make sure you are okay. I’ll call Melissa and get tips from her, but I think I have everything we need.”

“Your bed?”

“If you’re comfortable with that. It will just be easier to monitor you, make sure you’re okay.”

Derek thinks he smells a wave of disappointment from Stiles. “Oh. Right. Sure, that makes sense.”

“Stiles, I can’t imagine having you sleep here and not be next to me. I want you in my bed, okay? Nothing will happen until you’re feeling better, but I really want you there. If that’s okay.”

Stiles gives him a happy, tired smile. “Nowhere else I’d rather be, Sourwolf.”

Stiles fell asleep on Derek’s shoulder as he carried him to his room, and Derek prepared himself to quickly learn how to take care of a sick human.


	7. Chapter 7

Stiles felt like shit. All he really wanted at this point was for his Cuddlewolf to get back to bed and keep him warm. On an intellectual level, he knew that he had a fever and trying to get warmer was not a good idea, but his shivers made every muscle in his body tense and he just wanted the aches to go away.

This seriously sucked. How had they gone from kissing and confessing feelings to this: Stiles shivering and achy, in none of the good ways, on Derek’s huge bed. Alone.

He could hear Derek talking to someone just outside the bedroom door and tried to wait patiently. It’s not a strength, so sue him.

“Derek, dude what are you doing out there? I’m cold. You told me to stay in this bed but I’m thirsty.” Even Stiles is irritated with how whiney his voice sounds. Jesus, this “we are into each other in a decidedly romantic way” thing will be over in a day if he keeps up the annoying patient act.

Finally, Derek came back into the bedroom and he had tons of stuff in his arms.

“Okay, I just talked to Melissa and have instructions on what we need to do. She said if it’s the Coronavirus, you’ll probably just have a fever and feel really tired for the first few days, so I’m supposed to keep track of your temperature. Eventually you’ll likely get the respiratory symptoms, and some people have had gastrointestinal issues too. Most of that comes in the second week and later.”

“Oh my god, I’m not sure I can handle having the shits around you. That is, like, the kind of thing boyfriends don’t sign-up for until after the first year, right? FUck, this is such a bad idea, I can’t have you see me like this for the next couple of weeks. It’s a fucking miracle you even wanted to kiss me an hour ago.”

Derek was pretty sure Stiles would have continued his sad monologue and talk himself into a panic attack while sick. He did the first thing that came to mind to stop him and reassure him at the same time. He quickly set all his supplies down on the bed, pulled Stiles’ floppy, feverish body into his lap with those long legs dangling over the side of his right thigh, and pulled Stiles head down onto his shoulder.

  
“Stiles, hey, hey, hey. Just breathe for me and relax.” Derek ran his left hand up and down Stiles’ back under his shirt, trying to gentle him like he would a scared animal. “You have seen me at my worst more times that I want to remember. Do you still care about me?”

Stiles nodded into Derek’s neck and wrapped his arms around Derek’s back, which Derek took as a good sign. His heart rate also calmed down.

“Exactly. You are my best friend and I would gladly take care of you anyway, even if it means cleaning up shit-stained pants and sweaty sheets. I know you would do the same, right?”

Stiles sniffled a little but nodded. “But Der, you don’t get sick, I’ll never be able to help you this way. It seems totally unfair to make you do this.”

Derek couldn’t help but let out a huff of annoyed laughter. “Stiles, you’ve literally put my guts back into my body. You offered to cut off my arm when you were just a kid to save me. Believe me, you help me all the time. So let me help you this time, okay? And don’t feel bad about it. I’ll know because you smell sour when you are feeling guilty about something.”

“Oh my god, shut up. Ugh. How can I argue with you when I’m exhausted, sick and when you make a reasonable case. I hate you.” As he said that he pulled even closer into Derek, making it clear that he felt about the opposite of hate for him. Derek smiled into Stiles’ sweat-damp hair and enjoyed the closeness for another moment.

However, Melissa’s instructions were ringing in his ears, so sooner than either of them wanted, Derek put Stiles back so he was sitting up against the head board. “Okay, now that you know who is in charge here…”

“Hey!”

Derek just continued on, “It’s time to take your temperature and give you some medicine. I’ve got an infrared thermometer so I can even take your temp while you’re sleeping without bothering you. She said that temperatures usually spike at night, so I’m going to keep track but do my best to let you rest. I’ll only wake you up if you need to take more medicine. She also said that you need to stay hydrated, and if you lose your appetite and/or develop gastro symptoms, to give you Gatorade.”

Stiles mumbled, “I like the red and green kinds. Don’t even try giving me Pedialyte. That shit tastes awful.”

Derek smiled and nodded. “Okay, let’s get your temp, just stay still for a second.”

Stiles watched as Derek aimed the beam at his face and took his temperature. A few moments later he lowered the tool and looked at the reading. “Okay, 101.7. Definitely a fever but nothing to be concerned about.”

Derek stretched and grabbed the bottle of Tylenol from the pile of stuff he placed on the bed. Stiles smiled when he saw that Derek bought the name brands of Tylenol and Advil, clearly not aware that the generic brands were just as good. Sometimes being a human can be helpful, and knowing to buy cheap over the counter drugs is apparently one of those times.

Derek handed Stiles two pills and a glass of water. Stiles swallowed them down then just looked back at Derek. “Why don’t you finish the water, then you can go to sleep, okay?”

Stiles swallowed the rest down even though he didn’t really want it, then handed the glass back to Derek.

“Okay, good. Now, do you mind if I get a little closer and listen to your breathing? Mel said that it’s not likely you have any fluid in your lungs yet since you just started showing symptoms, so you probably don’t need to sleep propped up. She said unless I heard crackling noises while you breathe you are okay to sleep normally.”

“Sure, listen away.”

Derek crawled up the bed to sit next to Stiles and hesitated. This felt oddly intimate and he needed a second to not get overwhelmed. Then he felt Stiles’ fingers in his hair, gently grazing and calming him down. “It’s okay Der, I know you’re going to take care of me and I’m giving you permission now to do what you think will help. I’ll let know if it crosses a boundary I’m not comfortable with, okay? So, if I get delirious, I trust you do what you think is best.”

Derek is truly humbled. Neither he nor Stiles are trusting by nature. They are both fiercely loyal, but that loyalty does not come easily or is given to many. Without words to express how Stiles faith in him made him feel, Derek leaned down and gave a gentle, sweet kiss. Then he leaned down and rested his ear over Stiles’ sternum to listen to him breathe. Stiles kept his hand nestled in Derek’s hair the whole time, like an anchor.

“Can you take a few deep breaths?”

“Sure.” Stiles closed his eyes and drew in deep breaths and long exhales. Honestly, his lungs felt fine to him at this point, he just felt crappy from the fever.

After a few breaths Derek sat back up and smiled. “Sounds fine to me. I’ll keep track but I think you’re good for now to sleep however you feel most comfortable. Mel also said that if your fever continues to rise I can alternate the Tylenol and Advil so you can get treated more frequently. I’ll only do that if we need to, though.”

Stiles just smiled and snuggled his body to a more horizontal position. “Thanks, Der. ‘M sorry to be so much trouble. F’k your bed is awesome, just going to rest my eyes a little.”

Derek watched as Stiles quickly fell asleep.

God, seeing this man sleeping in his bed did something to him. He can’t help but brush some of Stiles’ hair off his face.

Derek stood up and grabbed his phone. Now that Stiles has had his medicine, water, and is sleeping, he needs to call the Sheriff.

Derek went to the kitchen so he wouldn’t disturb Stiles’ sleep.

The Sheriff answers on the third ring. “Derek? Is everything okay?”

“Hi Sheriff. I wanted to let you know that Stiles came down with a fever tonight. I’ve already given him medicine and fluids and he’s sleeping now, and I also called Melissa to find out exactly what I need to do. He’ll be fine, sir. I promise to watch closely and make sure he’s okay.”

“Damn. Well, I guess I’m not really surprised.” Derek hears the Sheriff sigh, but before he can say anything more John starts talking again.

“Well, I can’t imagine Stiles having someone better to take care of him. If you need any help with human medicine or illness questions you can always call me, Melissa or Scott even. But I know you’ll keep my boy safe, you two always take care of each other.”

Derek had to clear his throat which suddenly was occupied by a large lump.

“I will, sir. I promise.”

“Derek, you know you can call me John. Also, is there anything you two boys need? We can start dropping grocery and medicine to you now that you are both likely exposed.”

“Well, when Stiles first got sneezed on, I went out and got lots of things that I read would be good, like soups, drinks for hydration, lots of medicines and extra sheets, ice packs, um what else? Oh, a thermometer like the ones you have at the station, some books and things he might like to kill time, because even sick I assume his boredom could drive me crazy. Um, what else? Oh, I have a pulse oximeter that will be delivered in the next few days to track his blood oxygen levels. Um..”

The Sheriff just started laughing. “My god, you really do love him, don’t you? How that boy can be blind to it is beyond me.”

Derek can feel the blood leave his face as he tries to remember to breathe. “Sir?”

“I’m sorry, son. I’m not going to meddle and I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I’m just really grateful that Stiles has someone like you who cares so much.”

“I do, sir.” It’s said quietly, but Derek knows that the Sheriff heard him.

“I know, son. Okay, thanks for letting me know and please keep me updated. We’re all feeling much safer at work now, by the way. All of the staff are extremely grateful for the supplies you gave us.”

“Of course, it was nothing. And I will let you know how Stiles’ is doing. And if he’s feeling up to it, I’m sure he’ll do the same.”

“That sounds good. And Derek?”

“Yes, sir?”

“Make sure you get some sleep and rest as well. Stiles is a terrible patient and will likely make you want to pull your hair out. You have my sympathies.”

Derek snorted and listened as the Sheriff laughed before hanging up. Well, Stiles may be needy and cranky, but Derek doesn’t have it in him to regret that he’s here with him. If it gives him more chances to show how much Stiles means to him, all the better. However, the Sheriff is probably right, to take best care of Stiles means also taking care of himself.

Derek cleaned up what was left of their dinner and started turning off lights on the first floor. In the background he heard Stiles wander into the en suite bathroom, then a few minutes later head back to bed. Derek decided he might as well join him for an early night, knowing he would be up several times to check on Stiles’ fever. In fact, he should set some alarms on his phone.

As Derek approached his room, he caught the light scent of toothpaste and assumed that Stiles wanted to be settled in for the night. He wonders if he used his toothbrush?

Walking into the room, Derek set a water bottle next to Stiles side of the bed and smiled at the flop of dark hair visible from the small part of him that wasn’t burrowed under the comforter. Derek did his nightly bathroom rituals and stripped down to his boxer briefs. Though he usually slept naked, he didn’t want to make Stiles uncomfortable.

He turned out the lights and got under the covers on his side as gently as possible, not wanting to wake Stiles. He thought he was successful for about 1.5 seconds. That was how long it took before Stiles moved across the bed and draped himself over Derek to snuggle in for the night. He rested his head on Derek’s chest, arm over his stomach, and threw a nearly bare leg over Derek’s. It seems Stiles had the same idea and stripped down to his briefs before heading back to bed. Jesus, Derek needed to calm himself down right now.

“G’night, Sourwolf. Tnks fur takin’ care ‘f me.”

Derek thought he interpreted those mumbled words correctly. He leaned down to kiss the top of Stiles’ head, pulled his human in closer, and mentally prepared to check Stiles’ fever in a few hours.


End file.
